Page 155 of Sin

Mara lets me cry for exactly thirty seconds. Then she hands me water.

“Drink.”

I do.

“Now listen to me,” she says. “We are going to take this one piece at a time.”

I nod, wiping my face.

“First, we preserve evidence. Every video, post, message, and threat. Second, I contact company counsel. Third, we demand that the company provide security and a formal anti-retaliation plan. Fourth, we send a cease-and-desist to Kimi Valley if the content includes false statements of fact or targeted harassment.”

“She said I went after him.”

“Did you?”

I flinch.

Mara’s voice stays even. “Legally, Laurel. Did you pursue him for career gain? Did you harass him? Did you coerce him? Did you make false claims?”

“No.”

“Then we deal with what she said.”

I nod again.

“Fifth,” she continues, “we discuss Sex Activity Pro.”

My stomach drops.

“You think I should take it?”

“I think we need to examine it carefully. It may be a legitimate opportunity. It may also be affected by timing. You do not resign impulsively while under public pressure.”

“I wasn’t going to.”

Her look says she does not believe me. Fair.

“Fine. I thought about it,” I admit.

“Of course you did. Anyone would. But you do not let a scandal push you out of a position you earned unless leaving is truly in your best interest.”

I sit back, exhausted. “What if staying hurts the company?”

“That’s not your burden alone.”

“What if staying hurts him?”

Mara’s expression sharpens slightly.

“That question that will get you into trouble if you let it make your decisions.” She folds her hands on the desk. “Mason Sinclair has his own attorney, his own board, his own power, and his own responsibility for what happened. You are not required to sacrifice your career to make his consequences easier.”

My throat tightens. “I love him.”

The words come out before I can stop them. There they are. In a lawyer’s office of all the romantic places.

Mara doesn’t blink.

“Does he know?”